2 former Proteas back in court in October as match-fixing case continues

JOHANNESBURG - Two former Proteas, Lonwabo Tsotsobe and Thami Tsolekile, will be back in the Palm Ridge Commercial Crimes Court in October as the high-profile match-fixing case against them continues to unfold.

The case dates back to a 2015-2016 Ram Slam T20 tournament, where a network of former cricketers allegedly worked with illegal bookmakers to fix match outcomes for cash.

This week, former fast bowler Ntaketo Mbalati became the fourth ex-player to be convicted.

He was handed a five-year suspended sentence after pleading guilty to corruption.

Hawks investigators said the scheme involved at least six players who were approached by a former Protea and Indian syndicates to fix key moments in domestic games.

"Corruption undermines the integrity of sport and the Hawks are determined to safeguard the values of fairness and professionalism in all of society. We thank Cricket SA for their co-operation and commitment to addressing this scourge," said Hawks spokesperson Katlego Mogale.

Tsotsobe and Tsolekile were both banned by Cricket South Africa in 2016 after an internal probe but now face criminal charges, alongside former player Jean Symes.

The case has been postponed to 7 October.